Blog Wars Game 1 Dark Eldar Vs Tyranids

Mission: Capture and Control Deployment: Spearhead

Nid Army – The 6th Degree from Weemen:
Prime- Boneswords, Deathspitter (attached to Venomthropes)
Doom of Malantai –Pod
3 x Hive Guard
2 x Venomthropes
8 Genestealers
21 Termagants
Tervigon – Catalyst, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs
22 Hormagants
2 x Carnifex Brood with 2 TL Brainleech Devourers
Trygon Prime

That’s from memory, I’m sure Degree can put me right if I’ve ballsed up.

Dark Eldar can be found here.

He wins roll off to go first, despite the Baron’s +1. Drugs Roll is +1 Pain Token.

He sets up on the money of 12” from centre table with a huge screen of gaunts (of both kinds), in cover from a large, flat rock feature to the right and a dug in, reinforced gun position on the left. The Hive Guard unit takes up their firing position here. The Venomthropes and Prime set up behind the screen in cover from the unit, the Carnifex Brood hang out behind these boys for cover and the Tervigon is just off to the left from these guys, ready to pump out another screen of gants. To the right is the Trygon Prime, not covered, but getting the 5+ from the Venomthropes.
Genestealers outflank and Doom is in reserve with Pod.

His objective is hidden from me about 6” diagonally in from his far table corner. I respond likewise. I have the mobility to do that. He does not. Fuck 8 Genestealers.
I set up in a mirror position, but crucially 9-11” back from the 12” centre limit. My Hellions take point, half in cover from an area terrain piece, half spread out to cover skimmers. The Ravagers are tucked backed a bit from the Venom line, knowing that their movement and firing range is far superior to anything the nids have.

This setup was important going second as it meant that there would be no charges and no shooting from the Nids in the first turn.

This meant that going second I would be able to move up in my turn and hit charges on the gaunts/hormies and get the crucial, crippling round of shooting into the Nids.
As it happens…I seized the initiative…don’t know why I even bothered. Turned out pretty decisive in the end.
Turn 1:
I move towards and left of enemy lines with the Hellions, Barons joins leaving his Wrack squad behind and taking one of their 2 pain tokens..Hellions are now FC and FNP, whilst pushing my Wych Venoms aggressively across to the top right. The Incubi,Wrack and Trueborn Venoms stay more or less in the middle awaiting a target and the Ravagers move to get decent shots without 4+ cover for the big bugs.

Shooting phase the Hive Guard are whittled down to one dude by the Hellions, the central Venoms punish the Carnifex Brood, leaving one left on 2 wounds. The Ravagers target the Tervigon, but my only put a wound on it. The Wych Venoms punish a few Hormagaunts.
No Assaults, I’m biding my time in this one, bringing all the force to bear at once in turn 2.

Tyranid 1 he moves up the Hive Guard who takes a pop at Hellions, in cover with Stealth. One goes down. The Carnifex, Venomthropes and Tervigon push the centre, but are hemmed in somewhat by terrain and the swarm of little bugs in front. The Tervigon meanwhile has spawned 8 bugs who move back onto the objective, however he poops out so no more for him.. Tyrgon and Hormagaunts push and run across the top of the board, coming up to the Wyches, but terrain and poor fleet means they are well out. They’d be out of charge range even with perfect rolls. A few shots from Termagants into the Hellions drop another 2.

End of DE Turn 2

Turn 2:
It’s on like donkey kong beatch.

The pic shows end of my Turn 2 and is pretty telling.

The Ravagers shuffle in board slightly, the Wyches and Incubi get out of their Venoms and push into the Hormagaunts for a mass charge. The Wych Venoms and Trueborn push up top for Trygon hunting. The Wrack Venom and Incubi Venom stay put to hurt the Fex and Venomthropes.

The Hellions push in for a potential multicharge on the Hive Guard and the 21 Termagants.

Shooting phase the Trueborn blasters and 2 Venoms destroy the Trygon Prime. The 3rd wych venom punishes a couple of hormagaunts.
The central venoms kill the Carnifex and the remaining Hive Guard. The Hellions gun down a couple of Termagants.

Assault. The Hellions smash into the Termagants, wiping them without loss. The Incubi and 3 Wych squads kill the Hormagaunts, again without loss, even though the 5 remaining Hormies did get to swing back at I5 step. 4++ dodge is cool hey.

Tyranid 2: No Doom, Genies in on the right, push onto my abandoned home objective. They hang out in cover. The Venomthropes and Prime move back towards their own board edge and the spawned Gaunts get as far into the corner of the board as they can.
Turn 3:
I move in. 2 Wych squads remount to avoid incoming Doom and 1 plus Incubi push up towards the Venomthropes..they’ll be in with decent fleets.
The Ravager push forward and the other Venoms jockey, half turning to gun down the Genestealers, who go to ground, leaving 4 standing.
The Hellions jump around to the Nid objective, fleeting into comfy charge range.

Shooting…in a mammoth fluff I only kill 4 genestealers, wound the Prime once and kill 1 Venomthrope, leaving the other with just a wound.

Assault, the Hellions wipe the Gaunts and pile in towards the ‘thropes.

End of Turn 3

Tyranid 3: Doom comes in a vapes a wych squad and 2 Incubi who had had poor fleet rolls and were left in the open. ‘thropes back away.
Turn 4: Ravager doubles out the Doom. First shot. Of 12 Dark Light shots incoming at it. Venomthropes and Prime are gunned down. Genestealers are killed. Tabled.
VPs:
Dark Eldar got 1790 (extra spawned gaunts counted in the tournament)
Tyranids got 135.
Bad match up?
Yes.
Did seizing have an impact?
No. I kept out of charge and shooting range from the word go, not expecting to seize and fully expecting the first round of shooting and assault. The Doom coming in before I had chance to remount could very well have meant I lost my Wyches, but frankly I didn’t need them or any bodies after the perfect massacre that was turn 2.
Thoroughly good dude to take it like a man and smile?
Yes.
Hope I didn’t come across like a nob?
Yes.
Did I?
Probably. Lol.

I enjoyed the game as it was a clinical, perhaps cold, execution of the Dark Eldar army. I played fully into my strengths and capitalised on the weaknesses present in the Nid army.

Ultimately, I think the mass poison and vastly superior mobility won this one before we started. Unless I had of played like a dick. In which case I would have deserved to lose.

There can be no real sugar coating on this one.. the pictures tell the story. I’d love to play 6th Degree again with another of my armies other than this as it was frustratingly simple.